Saturday, March 8th is International Women's Day. The first IWD in the United States was observed in 1909, after a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. The day is observed in countries all over the world, with celebrations taking political, social, and cultural forms. In many cities around the world, people observe a Global Women's Strike. Some organizers focus on the situation of women in countries such as Iran.

The Women of Color Resource Center will present Speaking Fierce, an evening of art, spoken word, humor, and music, on Thursday night, March 6th, at 7:00pm at the First Congregational Church, at 2501 Harrison Street at 27th in Oakland. Speakers and performers will include presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, the Service Women's Action Network, hip-hop duo Climbing PoeTree, and electro soul singer Jennifer Johns. On Friday evening, the BFUU will screen "Tillie Olsen- A Heart in Action", about the life of the writer and activist, on Friday evening at 7:00pm in Berkeley.

On Saturday, a day of celebration, networking, and sharing will take place in Richmond. There will be a performance of "My Name is Rachel Corrie" in Santa Cruz on March 8th and 9th. On Saturday afternoon, Revolution Books will host a discussion of the movie "Juno" On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the United Nations Association of Santa Cruz County will celebrate International Women’s Day. The International Musuem of Women's 4th Annual Gala: Women, Power and Politics will take place on Saturday evening in San Francisco.

On Sunday morning, the Institute for the Critical Study of Society will host an event about the situation of women in Iran. On Friday, March 14th, Dance Brigade will present A Storm of Roses: Women Against War, a commemoration and protest against the 5th Anniversary of the War in Iraq, at 7:30pm at the Herbst Theater. On March 14th and 15th, UC Santa Cruz's Kresge Town Hall will host the 14th Annual Women of Color Film and Video Festival. The Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco will host Luna Negra: A Night of Women's Live Art on Wednesday, March 26th.

Revolution Newspaper: Let Us Celebrate Our Fighting Unity on International Women’s Day | Revolution Newspaper: The Horrors for Women in the “Modern” World of Global Capitalism | Indybay's past coverage of IWD | International Women's Day .com | Global Women's Strike